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Posted Tuesday, August 28, 2012

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It is known that breast milk can transmit HIV, but what about other breast discharges? Sometimes women´s breasts may discharge fluids without being pregnant. Would this have HIV virus?

I am scared. I recently had PROTECTED sex with a new girl friend. I sucked her nipple and something came out. It wasn´t much, but enough to taste it in my mouth. Even if this breast discharge had HIV, would that be enough to transmit the virus to me, considering that it dissolved in my saliva in my mouth?

I will appreciate any help on this !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Report Bad Post Edit/Delete Message

Your fears are unfounded. Even IF the woman you were with was HIV+, sucking her nipple would not be a risk for HIV transmission. Please read the Transmission lesson on this site which gives you all the basics. There's a link to it in the Welcome thread which opens this section.

You're worrying needlessly. But you do need to become better informed about the real risks.

I have been reading a lot. And never found anything regarding breast discharge. Only for breast milk, which you know has HIV virus and can be transmitted to the baby that way. If the virus is in breast milk, I have reason to think that it also could be in the fluid/discharge that came out of the breast directly into my mouth. Does anyone know if I am at risk.. I am a little scared.

You are NOT at risk. Even if the woman was HIV+ there is no way you became infected through what you've described. The saliva in your mouth has at least 12 known enzymes that break down the HIV Virus. You have no worries of being infected through a nipple.

Logged

LIFE is not a race to the grave with the intention of arriving safelyin a pretty and well-preserved body, but, rather to skid in broadside,thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming--WOW! WHAT ARIDE!!!

I have been reading a lot. And never found anything regarding breast discharge. Only for breast milk, which you know has HIV virus and can be transmitted to the baby that way. If the virus is in breast milk, I have reason to think that it also could be in the fluid/discharge that came out of the breast directly into my mouth. Does anyone know if I am at risk.. I am a little scared.

Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, this is sort of what happens when the media delivers the news in bytes instead of with comprehension.

Breast milk DOES contain HIV. But not in significant quantities. During the first months of a baby's life, his/her immune system is undeveloped/underdeveloped. S/he is extremely susceptible to HIv during this time. Daily suckling of copious amonts of HIv infected milk can - and does - lead to transmission.

However, that risk is a calculated one - and nowhere NEAR as risky as, say, unprotected receptive vaginal or anal sex. Because of that, mothers in third world countries are often encouraged to breastfeed their children even if they are HIV positive, as the risks associated with that activity are not nearly as high as the risks of deadlier diseases and conditions spread through contaminated water (often used to mix formula). Diarrhea remains the major killer of children under three years of age.

To date, there have been zero reported instances of an adult becoming infected through breast milk. This is likely due to the two factors I mentioned earlier, that of an intact immune system and the need to swallow a steady, copious diet of the stuff to exclusion.

Hope this helped. You were not at risk for HIV in the incident you decribe.

HIV really IS hard to get for a heterosexual male, scientifically speaking. Well, it's not a particularly virulent virus to get period, as far as STDS are concerned.

Logged

"Many people, especially in the gay community, turn to oral sex as a safer alternative in the age of AIDS. And with HIV rates rising, people need to remember that oral sex is safer sex. It's a reasonable alternative."

I have 2 questions though. 1) If breast milk does not have such high levels of HIV virus, then why is it part of the list among with blood as a via of transmission?

2) If having oral sex is still a risk because one could have cuts in the mouth and the virus can enter that way, then having contaminated breast discharge with a minimal amount of HIV in my mouth, theoretically, could be a low risk, just as oral sex could be. Am i right??

Thanks you all !!!! I never expected to find this kind of support in a forum. I am happily surprised!!

I have 2 questions though. 1) If breast milk does not have such high levels of HIV virus, then why is it part of the list among with blood as a via of transmission?

2) If having oral sex is still a risk because one could have cuts in the mouth and the virus can enter that way, then having contaminated breast discharge with a minimal amount of HIV in my mouth, theoretically, could be a low risk, just as oral sex could be. Am i right??

Thanks you all !!!! I never expected to find this kind of support in a forum. I am happily surprised!!

To your questions:

1) breast milk has been documented to transmit HIV from mother to infant. As one of the documented routes of transmission, it makes the list.

2) performing fellatio appears to be a vanishingly small risk, as several long term studies of serodiscordant couples have been unable to duplicate oral infection. The mechanisms by which HIV could theoretically enter the bloodstream or contact specific dendritic cells have been the subject of much speculation. All tests, from lab work to simian and primate research, indicates that this is an extremely rare transmission vector, if it happens.

Oral sex as a viable HIV transmission route still relies on patient report after the fact, which is one of the most notoriously unreliable forms of data gathering.

Theoretically? Low risk, sure. But parsing theory always makes me uncomfortable, because until there is solid and sound basis in quantifiable research, it's simply navel-gazing. Stuff like that, in my personal opinion, does little to deliver information and seems more designed to elicit fear.

Logged

"Many people, especially in the gay community, turn to oral sex as a safer alternative in the age of AIDS. And with HIV rates rising, people need to remember that oral sex is safer sex. It's a reasonable alternative."

"Many people, especially in the gay community, turn to oral sex as a safer alternative in the age of AIDS. And with HIV rates rising, people need to remember that oral sex is safer sex. It's a reasonable alternative."